Soccer prepares for BYU in Round of 32

Austin Hannon, Staff Reporter

After its first NCAA Tournament win in program history, Alabama women’s soccer (11-9-1) looks to continue its run against the fourth-seeded and No. 13 overall  BYU Cougars (14-4-1).

Alabama midfielder Allie Berk scored in the fourth minute to defeat the Clemson Tigers 1-0 in the first round. It was Berk’s third goal of the season.

It was also a brilliant performance for goalkeeper McKinley Crone, who faced 20 shots and made four great saves to ensure the Alabama shutout.

“The team took care of business, and that’s what we ask for every game,” Crone said. “There’s stuff we need to take care of next game for sure. But I think coming off the game with this kind of confidence gives us an awesome start and motivation to continue pushing on in the tournament.”

BYU will be a different test for the Crimson Tide.

The Cougars have the highest-scoring offense in the country, averaging 3.58 goals per game, scoring 68 times in 19 matches.

BYU forward Cameron Tucker is 10th in the NCAA with 14 goals. She has five assists.

Cougars midfielder Mikayla Colohan is fifth in the country with 39 points. Colohan has 13 goals and 13 assists. Her 13 assists rank sixth in the nation.

Jennifer Rockwood is the head coach of the Cougars and is in her 27th season with the program. Rockwood has a record of 407-118-45. During her tenure, BYU has made the Elite Eight three times.

BYU earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament after winning the West Coast Conference with a 1-0 win over then-No. 16 Pepperdine in the conference tournament.

The Cougars defeated the New Mexico Lobos in the Round of 64 by a whopping score of 6-0.

BYU has allowed only 15 goals in 19 games. Goalkeeper Cassidy Smith has recorded four shutouts on the year, and the team has 10 combined shutouts.

The Cougars played three teams from the SEC this season. BYU defeated Missouri, 7-4, but lost to Arkansas and Auburn. The Crimson Tide defeated Auburn 1-0 in its last game of the regular season.

Alabama and BYU have played only one time in history, with the Cougars winning 1-0 in August 2019 in Tuscaloosa.

This time around, the match will be in Charlottesville, Virginia, where the host and No. 1 overall seed Virginia Cavaliers play.

The match is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 18, at 3 p.m. CT. It will be broadcast on ESPN+. The winner of Thursday’s match will advance to play Saturday against the winner of No. 1 Virginia and Milwaukee.